My Safe Haven
by Tamix14
Summary: Fate must have been on her side when she brought her son to Kisuke's shop. How else would she know he could heal her son? Kisuke turns out to be a safe haven for Ichigo when no one wants him.
1. Prologue

Tamix- Wow. just when I thought I wouldn't start another story due to idea issues, this one popped up in my head....apparantly my plot bunnies are back from their vacation. And I got myself a beta so no bad grammer for me! This story has been beta'd by my new beta TealEyedBeing. She's a good authoress so I suggest you go read her stories. ^^

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Kisuke Urahara leaned back and yawned widely. His store had been utterly empty today. Not that it was unusual, but he normally had at least one customer. He sighed, and had just decided to haul his lazy ass up and close shop when a woman threw the door open, almost hitting the blond storekeeper.

"Oh I'm sorry! A-are you still open?" The woman asked hesitantly. Kisuke, recovering from nearly being hit in the face, merely nodded.

"C-can I speak to the manager then?"

"You would be speaking to him now," Kisuke said. The woman's face lit up and she took his hands imploringly.

"Could you help me? Please, I heard you have the power to heal people who are nearly dead!"

Kisuke frowned, wondering how that had gotten out. He shoved the thought to the back of his mind, vowing to slowly torture whoever had said anything, and turned his usual smile on the woman.

"Ma'am, I'd love to help you but you'd have to show me what I'm dealing with. I'm not God after all."

"Oh…well come with me." She led him to a run-down looking car, and opened the back door. A teenage boy with vibrant orange hair lay on the back seat. Kisuke estimated he was around 17 or 18.

He also had a huge gash in his stomach, which was bleeding freely, though the woman had obviously tried to staunch it.

"How'd this happen?" Kisuke asked, serious for once as he gently lifted the unconscious teenager from the back seat. He seemed to weigh nothing and was breathing unsteadily.

"H-he got attacked," The woman said through her tears. "This huge dog across the street did it. We keep telling the owners they have to control it, but they never do anything!"

"Okay ma'am, calm down. Can you give me your name and a phone number please? And his name while you're at it?"

"S-sure. His name is Ichigo. My name's Masaki Kurosaki." Masaki rooted in her purse before pulling out a scrap of paper. "Do you have a pen by any chance?"

"Sure, one minute." Kisuke laid the boy, Ichigo, down on the couch carefully, and then rooted around behind the counter for a bit before extracting a pen and handing it to her. She wrote a number on it, and handed it to him.

"This is my cell phone number. My husband, his step-father, doesn't know about this, and I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate being called now." She paused, looking saddened. "Ichigo and his step-father have really never gotten along. I don't think he'd evencare if Ichigo died."

Kisuke nodded, taking all this in silently.

"Alright, I'll do my best. Just remember I can't do everything," He warned.

"Oh thank you!" Masaki said gratefully. "I feel better even hearing you say you'd try!"

"I'll call you when he's stable then?"

"Yes, thank you so much!" With that, Masaki trotted out the door, looking infinitely happier than she had when she had come in. Kisuke sighed as he watched the door swing shut, wondering why he got himself into these things. He let out another long sigh and turned to the unconscious teen on the couch.

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There ya go! And reviews make me write more, and I promise to think of a plot for my Naruto story.....at some point..... Ciao!


	2. Chapter 1

Tamix- Kay finally got unlazy enough to type this up and send it to TealEyedBeing....sorry for the somewhat wait....school started so the wait between chapters is gonna be a little longer. But here's chapter one, betaed by TealEyedBeing! ^^

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Ch. 1

Kisuke leaned back from where he had been attending to Ichigo. He sighed heavily, rubbing his legs, muscles sore from kneeling so long. His stomach growled, reminding him that he had missed dinner in favor of sitting for a couple of hours healing the vibrant haired teen. Kisuke glanced at the clock and grimaced. At twelve at night, he was going to forgo dinner in favor of getting a few good hours of sleep. He stood, wincing when his stiff knees cracked, and started to amble up to bed. He glanced back at Ichigo, and his conscience nagged at him to at least get a blanket so Ichigo wouldn't catch a cold in his weakened state. The part of him that wanted sleep however, vehemently denied this.

In the end, common sense won out with Kisuke reminding himself that talking to yourself is not exactly healthy, and went to get a blanket.

When he came back, he saw that Ichigo was awake.

Though not fully, he still looked kind of out of it, but conscious nonetheless.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Kurosaki-san!" Kisuke said cheerfully while covering Ichigo with the blanket.

"H-huh? Where…am I?" Ichigo questioned weakly. He tried to sit up, but Kisuke gently pushed him back down.

"You're at my store. I healed you, and now you need to rest."

Either Ichigo was too tired to be suspicious or he believed Kisuke, but he nodded and closed his eyes again, falling back to sleep in mere minutes. Kisuke stood by the couch for a minute, watching Ichigo sleep. He felt himself nodding off on his feet after a few minutes more, and shook himself awake.

"Right, sleep. I need some," He reminded himself, and dragged himself to his room after one last glance at the fast asleep teenager.

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The next morning, Kisuke was dragged up out of a sound sleep by the phone ringing rather loudly.

"Someone please tell me what that phone is doing on the loudest volume possible when I'm trying to sleep," Kisuke muttered to thin air as he stumbled from his room to the living room to grab the phone.

"Hullo?" He answered sleepily.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did I wake you?" The voice on the other end of the line asked worriedly. The voice was Masaki, presumably calling about Ichigo.

"No, it's okay. I was getting up anyways," Kisuke said, glancing at the clock on the wall. It read seven in the morning, and he winced. He had hoped for at least eight solid hours of sleep, but it looked like that wasn't happening.

"Alright then." Masaki sounded relieved.

"I assume you want to come see Kurosaki-san then?" Kisuke asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Yes! He _is_ awake then?" Masaki questioned.

"Well, not at the moment, but he did wake up for a minute or two earlier this morning." Kisuke looked over at the sleeping orange-head.

"Oh, that's okay. Can we still see him?"

Sensing Masaki really wanted to see Ichigo, Kisuke gave up hope on going back to sleep.

"Yeah, sure. Is like in half an hour okay?"

"Alright, see you then!" Masaki sang cheerfully, and then hung up. Kisuke hung up as well, and went to get dressed. One thought hovered in his mind as he recalled Masaki's and his conversation the night before.

That Ichigo's stepfather wouldn't care if the orange head died.

Kisuke wondered who would want such a (dare he think it) _cute_ kid dead.

He was about to find out.

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Roughly about half an hour later, Kisuke heard the bell on the store door jingle, and Masaki's cheerful voice rang out.

"Hellooooo!~ Urahara-san, are you here?"

Kisuke heard someone else mutter:

"Japanese, eh? Can't get away from 'em."

"Well, darling, we _are_ in Japan after all."

Kisuke seemingly appeared out of nowhere (boy, did he love doing that to unsuspecting people), and the man next to Masaki jumped.

"Where th' hell did _you_ come from?" He growled.

"Why, upstairs of course!" Kisuke answered innocently. With this, he aimed to test two things: if the man could understand Japanese, and what his reaction was.

"Looked like ya appeared outta thin air," He muttered. "I'm Bryan by th' way."

So he understood Japanese, but chose to speak English?

Interesting…

"Ah, Urahara-san, could we please see Ichigo?" Masaki asked, tugging on Kisuke's sleeve shyly. The blonde smiled kindly at her.

"Sure, follow me. I can't guarantee he'll be awake but you can at least see that he's alive and safe.

As he led the two into the living room where Ichigo was, he thought he heard Bryan mutter something along the lines of:

"Why should I care if he's alive and safe or not?"

For his own safety, he didn't mention it. He heard Masaki gasp as they entered the room.

"Ichigo…..my baby, you're alive!" She went over to Ichigo and kissed his forehead, then just sat and looked at him for a couple minutes. Bryan shuffled from foot to foot, and then coughed impatiently. Kisuke shot him a glare, and smiled at Masaki, who had turned back to them. She stood, walked over to Kisuke, and embraced him.

"Thank you so much," She whispered in his ear. "You saved my Ichi's life."

Kisuke smiled, and patted her back.

"It was my pleasure," He said modestly. "I'm just glad he lived. I assume you'll want to take him home now that he's stable?"

Masaki looked gleeful, and was about to say something, probably along the lines of "yes please", when Bryan quite forcibly interrupted her.

"Hell no! I'm sorry Masaki, but it's about time I told you the truth. I don't want this kid around at all."

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Tamix- There ya go! Hope you enjoyed! See, I couldn't have Isshin be this mean could I?


	3. Chapter 2

**Tamix-** Yeah, I finally got motivated enough to type this up! Sorry it took so long I got grounded......anywho enjoy! As usual, beta-d by TealEyedBeing.

**Ch. 2**

Masaki stared at Bryan, at a loss for words.

"R-really? You hate him that much?" She whispered tearfully.

"Honestly? Yes. Yes, I do," Bryan said. "I would've liked it better if he would have died."

Before Masaki could hit her husband, Kisuke placed himself between the two.

"Before this gets ugly, could I suggest something?" He asked in a light tone that was at odds with the tense atmosphere.

"This really doesn't concern you," Bryan said coldly.

"Actually, it does. How about this: Ichigo stays with me. Bryan doesn't have to see him, and Masaki can come see him whenever she wants to."

There was silence for a couple minutes while the two thought about thisproposal. Then Bryan spoke up.

"That works for me. As long as I don't have to see the brat, I'm fine."

Masaki took a bit longer to decide.

"I guess its okay. As long as I can visit him."

"Of course you can," Kisuke said warmly. Masaki looked gratefully at the blonde.

"Thank you so much for all you've done."

"It's really no problem."

"Not many people would heal a dying teenager and then agree to take him in." Masaki's eyes sparked like she knew something. "But then again, you're not a regular person are you?"

"Oh, come on we don't have all day," Bryan said, impatiently dragging Masaki out the door.

"Come by whenever you want!" Kisuke called after them. He barely finished the sentence as the car door slammed, the car roared to life, and peeled off.

"Well, he's a friendly guy," Kisuke chuckled to himself. He turned, still chuckling softly, to go into the house.

He stopped dead in the doorway.

Ichigo was sitting up on the couch.

"Ah, Kurosaki-san you really shouldn't be up yet," Kisuke said smoothly. Ichigo's mouth formed into a light frown, and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Why not? I feel fine," He said stubbornly. Kisuke smiled, moving to the teen's side.

"You may feel fine, but you really should be resting, even if it's just lying down."

Ichigo's scowl grew, but he did as Kisuke asked, lying down to look up at the shopkeeper curiously.

"I had weird dreams," The teen started.

"You would," Kisuke said simply. "You had a high fever when you arrived here….was it only last night? It feels like it's been weeks."

"Huh? Last…night?" Ichigo looked confused.

"You were injured. Your mother brought you here because she thought I could heal you. She seemed pretty desperate, and you _were_ dying, so I did," Kisuke explained. Ichigo still looked vaguely confused.

"I was injured? How?"

"Your mother said you were attacked by a large dog your neighbors couldn't control."

"Huh? Dog?" Ichigo looked even more confused now.

"Yes, don't you remember?" Kisuke asked, quickly becoming rather confused himself.

"Yeah, I remember everything. None of the people on my block, let alone my neighbor's even have a dog…"

Now Kisuke was even more confused, and rather frustrated.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, pretty sure."

"Then what hurt you?" Kisuke questioned. "Or who?"

Ichigo stared off into space, obviously trying to remember.

"I-I don't remember. Funny, that's the only thing I can't remember," Then teen said finally. Kisuke frowned a little, but instantly replaced it with his usual smile.

"Well, I suppose you'll remember in time. We can wait."

"I guess. So what am I doing here?"

"Weeeeell…"

"…"

Kisuke shifted a little.

"You're staying with me," He said finally. Ichigo's eyes widened almost comically, and he shot up, grabbing Kisuke by the shoulders.

"What?!"

"Whoa, slow down there Kurosaki-san…"

"Ichigo."

"Hmm?"

"Call me Ichigo. Honorifics make me twitchy, so just call me Ichigo."

"Well alright…Ichigo."

"Now answer me! Why am I staying with you?" For a not-yet-recovered person who was very recently close to death, Ichigo had a surprisingly strong grip. Kisuke felt the orange head's fingers almost bruising his shoulder, and resigned himself to explaining.

"Well, your mom brought you here like I said before. I healed you, and she wanted to see you this morning. She brought your stepfather along…" Kisuke stopped here because Ichigo had gone stiff, and the blonde could see him shaking.  
"Hey, you okay?"

Ichigo shook his head and returned to normal, though he was still rather pale.

"Nothing. It's….nothing, I'm fine. You can keep going."

"Alright, if you insist. Well, she brought your stepfather along with her. Masaki-san appeared to be happy to see you, but your stepfather…not so much."

"I don't like him," Ichigo whispered suddenly.

"To tell you the truth, I really didn't either," Kisuke confided with a smile. "And your stepfather said he…didn't want you around. So I offered to take care of you. That way your stepfather doesn't need to see you and your mother can come see you whenever she wants."

"And my stepfather won't come?" Ichigo asked with a slightly worried look on his face. One that made Kisuke want to do whatever the teen asked, if only to keep him safe and see him happy.

"Not if you don't want him to."

Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

"You really don't like him, do you?"

"No, not at all..."

The two were silent for a couple moments. Ichigo then broke said silence by yawning rather loudly. Kisuke chuckled a little.

"You're still tired. That's understandable since you've been through so much these last 24 hours," The blonde said understandingly. "You should get some rest."

"I _am_ kind tired." This sentence was punctured by another large yawn, and Ichigo lay back down as his eyes slipped shut. Kisuke smiled, watching the orange head drift into sleep. The relaxed atmosphere was broken by a loud ringing. Ichigo's eyes shot open, and Kisuke got to his feet, grumbling.

"Sorry, sorry. It's a friend's phone. She left it here." Kisuke crossed to the table, picked up a small phone, and turned it off, cursing it. It had been peaceful watching Ichigo sleep, and Kisuke cursed whatever fate had made the phone ring.

"Damn Soul Reapers," Ichigo heard him mutter under his breath.

"Umm…what's a Soul Reaper?" Ichigo asked curiously.

**Tamix-** Okay TEB I think I got everything. I was a wee bit distracted lol. Hope you enjoyed, reviews make me write more! ^^


	4. Chapter 3

**Tamix-**Finally I get this up! Sorry for the wait, it was just so fucking long, and I was too lazy to type it. But I finally did. Took me two or so hours tonight. Appreciate it dammit! Beta'd by TealEyedBeing, who like me, wants a pic of the scene where Kisuke is cuddling Ichi. Lots of fluff in this!

**Ch. 3**

Kisuke swore under his breath.

"You heard that?"

"Yeah…why?"

Kisuke smiled ruefully. "You really weren't supposed to hear that."

"But I did. Are you allowed to tell me?" Ichigo asked, tilting his head in a way Kisuke found rather cute. The blonde shopkeeper sighed a little.

"I guess I can. A Soul Reaper is a guide. They guide souls on to the Soul Society."

"Is that some kinda afterlife?" Ichigo asked.

"Sort of. Good souls, called Wholes go there. Bad souls, called Hollows, we purify."

"We? You're a Soul Reaper too?"

"Ichigo, if you keep asking questions, I won't be able to answer your original one," Kisuke said with a soft chuckle. Ichigo flushed a little.

"Okay, okay, continue."

"Yes, I am a Soul Reaper by the way. So Soul Reapers are guides for souls."

"Okay. So that phone belongs to a Soul Reaper? They need phones?" Ichigo sounded skeptical, and Kisuke laughed again.

"Yes, it tells them where Hollows are. That's one of its functions."

"There was one here?!"

"Shh, it's okay. If there was, another Soul Reaper will get it, so we're in no danger. Don't worry your pretty little head over it."

Ichigo blushed again. "O-Okay…"

Kisuke smiled. Ichigo really _was_ cute when he blushed.

Or in general, for that matter.

"So, you got any other questions?" Kisuke asked in a slightly teasing tone that wasn't lost on Ichigo.

"No, not at the moment."

"Good, cause now that I told you about Soul Reapers, I have to make you one."

Kisuke sounded deadly serious, and Ichigo's face turned pale.

"W-wha?"

"That, or kill you," Kisuke said simply. Ichigo turned even paler, and the blonde realized he had gone too far. He realized how harsh his words had been, and hurriedly sat by the teen, touching his shoulder gently.

"Ichigo? Are you alright? I'm sorry, that was kinda harsh."

Ichigo blinked up at Kisuke, his amber eyes bright in his pale face.

"Kinda? That _was_ harsh."

Ichigo looked so distraught, Kisuke didn't think, he only acted on instinct. He wrapped his arms around the slender orange head, pulling him closer so Ichigo's head was tucked under the blonde's chin. Ichigo blinked at this odd, but decidedly comforting position. He unconsciously snuggled closer to Kisuke, and felt the shopkeeper's arms tighten around him, one hand coming up to stroke the teen's back. Ichigo's breathing gradually slowed and calmed, and some color returned to his face.

"You okay now? Sorry to be so blunt, but that's the choice you face," Kisuke said softly. Ichigo mumbled something into Kisuke's chest that the blonde didn't catch.

"Sorry, what was that?"

Ichigo looked up, a determined look on his face.

"I'd rather be a Soul Reaper than die. Make me one then."

Kisuke smiled. "I thought you'd choose that. C'mon, I have to do it before Soul Society people come barging in." The blonde stood, helping Ichigo up as well. "I don't want them asking why I told a human all about Shinigami and the Soul Society.

"How would they know?" Ichigo asked, stumbling a little as he tried to keep up with Kisuke's long strides. The older stopped, letting Ichigo catch up before scooping his up bridal-style. Ichigo squeaked, flushing a faint red color. Kisuke smiled.

"Sorry, didn't want you falling behind. No reason to tire you out. And they keep tabs on me. Have to watch a traitor at all times." Kisuke's voice took on a bitter, sarcastic tone at the last sentence.

"Traitor?" Ichigo asked timidly. Something in the older man's voice told Ichigo this wasn't a good conversation topic for the blonde. Kisuke nodded wearily.

"It's a long story, but yes, I'm a traitor to the Soul Society. I got thrown out and can't go back. They literally put up a force field so I can't get back in." Ichigo winced.

"Harsh punishment," He said softly. Kisuke scoffed.

"Yeah, and the kicker is, I didn't even do it." His tone was dark and bitter now, something in it scared Ichigo. It was like Kisuke was a totally different person now. The jovial, smiling shopkeeper was gone, as was the caring, grey eyed man who had hugged and comforted him. In their place was a dark-eyed stranger.

And this person scared Ichigo.

"K-Kisuke?" Ichigo said nervously. Kisuke immediately snapped out of it, and smiled lightly, his eyes back to their normal mercurial grey.

"I'm sorry Ichigo; I didn't mean to scare you. I just get mad sometimes," He soothed.

"Y-you did scare me. It was like you were a whole different person!"

"I don't doubt it," Kisuke said, the bitter tone creeping back into his voice again. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"It's okay…" Ichigo murmured. Kisuke leaned down a bit and suddenly kissed Ichigo's forehead.

"As long as you understand," He murmured. "Just be aware that I have two sides to my personality. One is good and the other is…"

Ichigo flushed a brighter red at the kiss.

"A-and the other?" He asked, trying to ignore the sudden fluttery feeling he had in his stomach. Kisuke smiled down at him, only increasing the strange, fluttery feeling.

"The other isn't so good."

"Ah." Was the intelligent answer Ichigo gave, still blushing a little. Kisuke grinned as he knelt and lifted part of the floor up, revealing a ladder going down into a long, and black hole.

"Why're you blushing?" Kisuke asked teasingly as he stood, leaning the section of the floor tile against the wall.

"I…uh…er…" Ichigo stammered. Kisuke chuckled.

"It's okay Ichigo, I'm just teasing," He said lightly, then jumped into the hole. Ichigo yelped, and instinctively clutched tighter to Kisuke's shirt. There was a long rush of air, then a sudden bright light against Ichigo's squeezed shut eyelids. He hesitantly opened them just as Kisuke landed nimbly on the ground with a light thump. The blonde set Ichigo down, and Ichigo noticed he kept one arm loosely around him. Kisuke smiled as Ichigo looked around, clinging slightly to the blonde's arm.

"Wow. How does all this fit under your teensy little shop?" Ichigo asked, gesturing to the broad expanse of desert-like land.

"Magic," Kisuke said with a smirk that said he was obviously kidding. "Isn't it amazing? It took me a while, but I did all this. It's the perfect place to train or to just be alone. The only drawback is that you can never tell the time." The shopkeeper walked forward, and Ichigo noticed he was swinging a wooden cane at his side.

"You don't use that, do you?" He asked curiously. Kisuke shook his head.

"Nope, it's not even a real cane." He took the top of the cane where it curved and pulled up, revealing a long, thin katana. "It's a sword. A Zanpakuto."

"A…Zanpakuto?" Ichigo tilted his head. "What's that?"

"It's a Shinigami's sword. It's used to kill Hollows, perform Konso to send good spirits to the Soul Society, and also to make other Shinigami. It's literally a Soul Slayer, and each one has a name. They're not mindless tools, they have minds and personalities," Kisuke explained.

"They have names?" Ichigo asked, hesitantly reaching out to touch the blade. His finger brushed a cool, smooth surface of the metal and Kisuke smiled.

"She likes you. Yes, they all have names. And this is hers." Kisuke set his other hand over the blade. "Awaken now, Benihime."

A shiver went down the hilt and blade, making Ichigo's hand vibrate a little. There was a soft keening sound, and Benihime had changed.

Her blade had grown shorter and thicker, and the hilt was slightly crooked at the end, and was elaborately decorated.

"Pretty, isn't she?" Kisuke said, chuckling at the awed look on Ichigo's face.

"Yeah, she is," Ichigo said in a soft voice. "What're you gonna do with her?"

"To be honest? I have to stab you."

Ichigo flinched, and shied away a little. Kisuke, sensing another mild panic attack rubbed the orange head's shoulder soothingly, and leaned forward to kiss his forehead.

"Shh, it's okay. I have to transfer my powers to you. They have to awaken your Soul Reaper powers, then I'll take mine back."

Ichigo, who had blushed and gotten that fluttery feeling in his stomach again when Kisuke had kissed his forehead, nodded.

"How long does that take?" He asked.

"Not long," Kisuke said distractedly. "A couple minutes maybe."

"What's wrong?"

"Ichigo, I knew your mother, but do you know who your father was? Your real father? Do you know his name?" Kisuke asked.

"Yeah, actually. It's Isshin, why?" Ichigo asked. Kisuke shook his head.

"No reason. Now I know that you have your own Shinigami powers. I just have to awaken them."

"Huh?" Ichigo tilted his head in that cute way he had. "I'm confused."

"It's okay, you'll understand," Kisuke soothed. "I'll explain later when I'm done."

Ichigo nodded. "Okay, you promise?"

Kisuke chuckled and nodded.

"Yes, Ichigo, I promise," He said softly. He then hefted Benihime and leveled the point of her blade at Ichigo's heart.

"You ready?"

Ichigo took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"Ready as I'll ever be for someone stabbing me," He said, trying to joke. Kisuke smiled, his face softening.

"Will it hurt?" Ichigo asked worriedly. Kisuke threw his head back and laughed.

"Now he asks! Maybe, for a minute. Not long though."

"Okay, let's get it over with then," Ichigo said, softly. Kisuke rested the point of Benihime's blade against Ichigo's heart, hesitated a little, and then lunged forward, watching Benihime's blade slide easily through Ichigo's slim form.

He saw Ichigo wince, his fingers gripping the blade slightly. There was a sudden bright burst of light, and Benihime slid from Ichigo and clattered onto the ground. Ichigo blinked rapidly, trying to clear the flashes of light from his eyes. When he could see again, the first thing he noticed was his clothes had changed. Where he had been wearing slim jeans and a long sleeved shirt, there was now a loose, black shihakusho.

The second thing he noticed was Kisuke, who was sitting on the ground, grinning up at him and looking rather pale.

"K-Kisuke! Are you okay?" Ichigo asked, kneeling beside the blonde. There was a soft clank, and Ichigo looked behind him, trying to locate the noise. A long sword lay next to him, seeming to look up at him innocently. Ichigo reached out and picked it up.

"Is that…mine? My Zanpakuto?" He asked softly. Kisuke nodded tiredly.

"Yeah, it is." The blonde looked over to see where Benihime was lying, now back in her sealed state as a katana. Ichigo looked at Benihime, then over to her owner who was running his fingers through his blonde hair, hat laying beside him.

"S-so now what?" Ichigo asked, trying and failing to ignore that fluttery feeling in his stomach. The shopkeeper looked more…open without the green-striped hat on. Ichigo could actually see his eyes, and he looked a lot less shady and mysterious. Kisuke looked up and smiled a little wickedly. The fluttery feeling grew stronger, and Ichigo swallowed nervously.

"Now? Now I train you till you drop from exhaustion." Kisuke's eyes were sparkling mischievously, but Ichigo knew he wasn't kidding. The orange head smiled determinedly, gripping the hilt of his Zanpakuto.

"Bring it on."

**Tamix-**See? Freaking long. So yeah. Hope you enjoyed and muchos gracias to those that will and those that have reviewed, you make me happy.


	5. Chapter 4

**Tamix-**Finally I got the new chapter up! The writer's block was eating my brain! So her ya go! Beta'd bey TealEyedBeing.

**Ch. 4**

Steel met steel with a resounding clash as Kisuke and Ichigo sparred. Vibrations rebounded up Ichigo's arms, and he jumped away, panting. His arms and wrists were sore and numb from the countless heavy blows he and Kisuke were trading. Kisuke leapt at him, and Ichigo, not prepared, received a slash down his cheek. Kisuke saw a panicked, almost frightened look come to Ichigo's face, and then the orange head turned tail and ran. As he ran, Ichigo could feel his heart pounding rapidly, more from fear than exertion even.

He was scared.

Scared of Kisuke's strength. The blonde was monstrously strong. When Ichigo had told him that after their first clash, Kisuke had laughed.

"I've had a couple hundred years more experience than you Ichigo. It's amazing you can block my sword at all," He had said. Still, Ichigo was half frightened, half in awe of the other Shinigami's strength.

Leaning on a rock, his Zanpakuto**,** Zangetsu**,** dug into the ground for balance, Ichigo rested there, his senses alert should Kisuke come after him. He knew Kisuke could and would seriously injure him. Knowing this put him on edge, and Ichigo felt a funny, almost detached sensation creep over him. The feeling was questioning and Ichigo got a fuzzy sense of curiosity and raw, insatiable _strength_ from it. Ichigo knew it could take over him if it wanted to and yet, it seemed content just to observe. The orange head chose to ignore it for now and just focused his senses on staying alert.

Meanwhile, Kisuke was looking for Ichigo, trying to find the teen's surprisingly large reiatsu signature. The blond sighed, reaching out trying to find it. He found Ichigo, but something was weird about his reiatsu.

It felt…..doubled, one overlaid with a heavier, darker reiatsu.

Kisuke's eyed widened a little, and he took off running.

'No,' He thought. 'No, not him…'

Ichigo was still leaning against the rock, when that weird sense, that part of his mind that wasn't really his, suddenly gave off a sense of _danger_ and _enemy_. In two seconds flat, Ichigo had Zangetsu in his hands. When he whirled, the Zanpakuto had collided with Benihime. The blond owner of the blade was gaping at Ichigo over the curve of their crossed swords.

Ichigo's eyes had changed.

The white part was stained a midnight black, and his pupils were now an eerie gold in color. Kisuke felt a dark, suffocating reiatsu that was Ichigo's and yet not, sweep over him, and choked. That reiatsu was all too familiar and it awoke something in Kisuke.

Something that had been asleep for over a hundred years.

Kisuke jumped back, panting a bit, and his blond hair flutteringinto his face. Sometime in that strange moment, Ichigo had knocked Kisuke's hat off. It lay on the ground several feet away.

But Kisuke didn't even notice.

He was more aware of the fact that Ichigo's eyes had changed back to their normal amber color. He was also aware of a distinct _curiosity_ from that dark part of his mind that he normally kept locked away.

'No,' He thought. 'Go away.' He heard soft snickering in his head and wondered why now of all times _he_ had decided to wake up. Kisuke had been almost convinced that _he_ was gone, tamed into submission.

It just went to show how wrong he was.

And still, this _curiosity_. It was almost overwhelming….

Kisuke got it.

_He_ was curious about Ichigo.

About what Kisuke had made Ichigo.

After 100 years of silence, _he_ had sprung up again out of mere curiosity about another of _his_ own kind. Kisuke shoved that dark part of his mind back to where it belonged, and looked over at Ichigo. He knew _he_ wouldn't stay subdued for long, and _his_ perverse curiosity about Ichigo didn't help. _He_ would pursue Ichigo until _he_ knew what _he _wanted to know.

Ichigo wasn't safe.

But for now, Kisuke was too tired to think about such things. He had forgotten how tiring it was to keep _him _suppressed.

Ichigo looked tired as well. He had his Zanpakuto stabbed into the desert-like earth, and was clutching it to stay upright. Even as Kisuke watched this, the orange head lost this fight, and swayed dangerously. Kisuke, acting on instinct again, stepped up and caught Ichigo, pulling him close so he wouldn't fall. Ichigo leaned heavily on the shopkeeper, his eyes heavy-lidded and dark with fatigue. Kisuke sheathed Benihime and helped the teen slip back into his human body. The blond then picked him up, and carried him upstairs, only pausing to replace the floor tiling to cover the entrance to the secret room. He walked to a small bathroom, and reluctantly poked Ichigo awake. The orange head had drifted off to sleep, and Kisuke had been reluctant to pull him out of his peaceful-looking slumber. Ichigo started, and blinked up at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Kisuke chuckled lightly.

"Morning sleepy-head," Kisuke teased. "I know you're tired, but why don't you take a shower and come have some tea with me?"

Ichigo pulled himself upright, clinging to Kisuke as the blond set him on his feet.

"Alright," Ichigo said absently. Kisuke nodded.

"I'll meet you in the kitchen then," He said, and practically vanished down the long hallway, leaving Ichigo staring after him.

**Tamix-**So hope you liked. Wasn't my favorite chapter of this, but oh well........next chpater will be much, much better. -evil snicker- And read my Loveless oneshots please! They don't get any love. Thanks! Ja ne!


	6. Chapter 5

**Tamix-**This was sch a hard chap to write~ But it's finally up so I should be able to get on to good stuff now! So please deal with my bleh-ness and I hope ou enjoy anyway. R&R please! Love y'all *mwah* Thanks to TealEyedBeing for betaing as usual!

**Ch.5 **

Ichigo watched until Kisuke was gone before walking into the small, but cozy bathroom. It was pleasantly warm, so Ichigo pulled his shirt off before starting the shower. While the teen waited for the water to warm, he thought about what had happened while he and Kisuke had been training. After he had knocked Kisuke's hat off, he had seen the blonde's eyes do something strange.

They had changed.

Changed from their normal mercurial grey to an eerie gold color, with the sclera stained black. It had made Ichigo afraid of the blonde. Kisuke's reiatsu had changed as well; gotten darker, more smothering.

And yet, from that weird new darkness in Ichigo's mind, he had felt curiosity and a strange kinship.

Ichigo planned to ask Kisuke about all this as soon as he could because to tell the truth, it was kind of scaring him.

As soon as he admitted this to himself, a feeling of _concern _came from that dark part of his mind. Ichigo blinked, realizing whatever that thing was, it didn't want him to be afraid of it.

Ichigo shuddered; again pushing that…thing to the dark corners of his mind where he felt it belonged for now. He pulled the rest of his clothes off, and slipped into the shower. The hot spray pounding down on him felt wonderfully soothing on his aching muscles. The orange head absently picked up a bar of soap, aiming to wash the sweat of their training off. He had rubbed a little on his hands, when the scent caught him.

It was Kisuke's recognizable, slightly rainy scent. Ichigo flushed faintly, feeling that odd fluttery feeling in his stomach again. Ignoring it (or trying to), he finished showering and dried off, dressing in the kimono Kisuke had lent him. It was a dark blue, and was a little too big, but Ichigo could manage. It felt a little funny borrowing and wearing Kisuke's clothes, but he quickly brushing the thought aside before that fluttery feeling could make a reappearance. He stepped out into the hallway, wincing at the cold wood floor against his bare feet, and then stopped. Turning this way and that, he realized something…

He didn't know how to get to the kitchen from here.

Scolding himself mentally, Ichigo took a left turn and found himself walking down a semi-dark hallway. A little creeped out, he cursed when the hallway ended with a door. Curious despite himself, he walked closer to said door. When he got closer up, he saw the door was ornately decorated and had odd symbols on it.

"Huh, never seen this door before," Ichigo murmured. Then again, he had never seen most of Kisuke's home, and wasn't sure he wanted to, judging from the appearance of this hallway. Nonetheless, something about this particular door intrigued him. He reached out to try the doorknob and flinched.

The doorknob was icy cold, but as he turned it, he found it wasn't locked.

The orange head cautiously opened the door, and peered in. His first impression of the room inside was black and shadowy.

He couldn't see anything, and when he stuck his hand inside, it just…vanished. And even after a while, his vision didn't accustom itself to the darkness like normal. It remained as black as ever.

But as he watched, something _did_ appear in the darkness.

A pair of eyes.

But they weren't regular eyes. They were the eyes that Kisuke's had changed into earlier; black sclera with golden irises. They seemed to pull Ichigo to them. He desperately wanted to run, but those eyes seemed to pin him to the spot.

And they were growing larger, moving closer.

As they did, a dim form appeared as well. Ichigo squinted, the silhouette looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place where he had seen it before. The figure got ever closer, and Ichigo panicked, went to run.

And found he couldn't move.

Whether from something the figure was doing, or from plain fear, he was paralyzed.

"Uh…" Ichigo started to shake almost uncontrollably.

He was really wishing he hadn't opened that door. Soft, cold laughter tickled his ears, and he swore he felt icy cold hands caress his hair.

And then Kisuke was suddenly _there_. Ichigo was never quite sure_ how_ Kisuke knew he was in trouble, but the blonde was suddenly _there_. Ichigo found himself staring at the now closed door, cradled in Kisuke's arms. The orange head buried himself in Kisuke's embrace, trying to get as far away from that dark room as he possible could. He felt Kisuke's fingers card through his hair, and sighed, the blonde's rainy scent calming him.

"I'm sorry Ichigo. I should've told you how to get to the kitchen. I wasn't thinking." Kisuke said softly, apologetically.

"Wh-what was that?" Ichigo asked softly, into Kisuke's shoulder. The orange head was still shaking slightly, and had his fingers clenched in Kisuke's coat. The shopkeeper sighed.

"Come on. Let's get away from here and I'll tell you."

Ichigo let himself be led away from the door, and into the kitchen. Only once there with a warm mug of tea cupped in his hands, did he speak.

"S-So Kisuke, what was that door anyways?" Ichigo asked, not really sure if he wanted to hear the answer or not. Kisuke sighed, staring into his mug as if the answer would appear there. It's not that he himself didn't know; he did. But he didn't know if Ichigo would like the answer, or understand it.

"Kisuke?" Kisuke finally looked up, grey eyes meeting brown.

"That was the door where a Hollow is kept locked up. My Hollow. You also have one Ichigo."


	7. Chapter 6

**Tamix-**Yes, yes it's finally up. Sorry it took so long and that it's so short! I had zero inspiration for this chapter and school is eating my brainnnnnnn! I do have a plot for the next chpater though, so hopefully I'll get it up faster than I did this one. -prays to Jeebus- Review please for reviews make me a happy authoress, and a happy authoress updates faster! Ja ne! -kisses and cookies to all who review-

**Ch. 6**

Ichigo's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Wh-What?! I thought you said Hollows are bad!"

"They are," Kisuke said with a long-suffering sigh. "Ichigo, you and I are what Shinigami call Vaizards. We're Shinigami who have a Hollow mask. There are beings called Arrancar who are the opposite, but that's a story for another time."

Ichigo sipped at his tea.

"So how did I become a Vaizard?" He asked curiously. He could feel that other part of his mind-his Hollow part- listening too. Kisuke cupped his chin in one hand in thought.

"My theory is that some of my Hollow's reiatsu leaked though when I made you a Shinigami and awoke your Hollow."

"Your Hollow?" Ichigo asked. "Is that…what I saw in that room?"

Kisuke nodded.

"Unfortunately… He likes to scare people who try and go in that room. But it's odd he's been quiet for over 20 years. He must be pretty curious about you for him to have woken up."

Ichigo paled considerably.

"Curious? About me?"

"Yes or about your Hollow at least. It kind of worries me," Kisuke mused. Ichigo shuddered faintly, and Kisuke looked over at him.

"Don't worry. I won't let him hurt you, I promise," He said consolingly. Ichigo still looked pale and scared, so Kisuke slid an arm around him, squeezing his shoulders.

"Ichigo."

Ichigo looked up into the blonde's grey eyes.

"In order for me to protect you, you need to understand a few things, so listen carefully okay?" Ichigo nodded, and the shopkeeper continued.

"My Hollow, Hara, and I have very different personalities. So if I act different in any way or try to do something to you that I normally wouldn't, I want you to run to your room until I come to get you. There's a ward on your room so Hara can't even touch the door. Also, if my eyes change you should do the same. Okay?"

"Okay…" Ichigo whispered softly.

Kisuke smiled lightly, seeing that this was a lot for the teen to comprehend. A lot had happened to him in the past couple days.

"It's okay. Hara doesn't get the better of me often," The blonde reassured. Ichigo looked vaguely comforted by this. He quite suddenly leaned against Kisuke, who blinked then laughed softly. Poor Ichigo had fallen asleep!

"Poor thing. This is so much for you," He whispered, stroking Ichigo's soft, bright hair. The blonde scooped Ichigo up, carrying him to his room, and setting him down on the bed. The teen immediately curled up in the blankets. Kisuke chuckled and stroked Ichigo's hair before he left.

"Sweet dreams Ichigo," He murmured, shutting the door.

Ichigo woke up around midnight, judging by how dark it was. He blinked a few times, wondering what had woken him. He could hear unfamiliar voices, followed by Kisuke's soft one telling them to be quieter. His voice soothed Ichigo and lulled him back to sleep.

In his mind, his Hollow clamored, trying to make itself heard.

He knew something was wrong.

But Ichigo wasn't listening.


	8. Chapter 7

**Tamix-** Finally!!!!!!!! I am so lazy with this story, I'm sorry! -bows frantically- School is almost over so I'll (hopefully) stop being lay and update moer. As usual, beta'd by TealEyedBeing who has most graciously put up with my lazy self. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

When Ichigo woke up, he had a vague feeling that something was wrong. It was much too quiet.

There was no sounds at all, save for his own breathing.

No Kisuke making tea.

No Kisuke making clanking noises in the kitchen.

No noise at all.

Ichigo shot out of bed, padding down the hallway to the kitchen. But when he peeped in, there was no one in there. He spun on a heel, making his way to Kisuke's bedroom.

"Kisuke?" He called, hesitantly knocking. When there was no reply, he knocker harder. When there was no answer to that, the orange head swung the door open.

Kisuke wasn't there.

Ichigo stared in vain for a couple minutes before he remembered the secret room under the shop. The room where Kisuke had made him a Shinigami.

~Vaizard.~ whispered a strange voice in his mind. Ichigo shook it off and quickly made his way to the back room, spending a couple minutes trying the floor tiles before finding the right one. Ichigo was really, _really_ hoping Kisuke was down there, because he was starting to get a fluttery, slightly panicky feeling. The orange head made his way down the ladder carefully.

"Kisuke?" He called once he was all the way down.

When there was no reply, Ichigo _really_ started to worry, chewing on a fingernail while he thought. He was snapped out of his reverie by the sound of the telephone ringing from upstairs.

Hurriedly making his way up the ladder, Ichigo lunged for the phone before it went to the answering machine.

"Hello, Urahara Shoten," He answered, slightly breathless.

"Um, hello? Is Kisuke-san there?" said a familiar voice.

A voice Ichigo recognized. He just stood there in shock, holding the receiver stupidly.

"Ah…hello?" The voice on the other line said curiously. This snapped Ichigo out of his trance. He put the phone back to his ear hesitantly as if any quick moves would shatter this dream he seemed to be in.

"M-Mom?" He managed. The person on the other end sucked in a sharp breath.

"Ichigo?" Masaki said in disbelief. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah, it is. Listen mom," Ichigo said hurriedly. "Kisuke's not here. Do you know where he is? I checked everywhere, even that weird underground place, but he's not there."

There was a pause from Masaki's end.

"Ichigo you…listen hun, I'm coming there. Don't go anywhere okay? Just stay there," She said firmly. Ichigo blinked, slightly confused by this set of instructions.

"Do yo hear me Ichigo?"

"Y-Yeah, I'll stay right here," Ichigo stammered.

"Okay." Masaki sounded relieved. "I'll be there in a few minutes. I can't wait to see you again."

"Yeah…" Ichigo murmured. It had just hit him how _much_ he missed his mom.

"I'll be right there. Remember, don't go anywhere." Masaki then hung up the phone. Ichigo slowly hung up, more than slightly confused now.

Why had she seemed so urgent, so convinced he shouldn't leave?

~~Later~~

When the familiar bells on the shop's door jingled their cheerful melody, Ichigo practically ran to the front. As soon as he saw his mom, he flung himself into her arms, inhaling her familiar perfume. Her arms wrapped tightly around him in a breath-squeezing hug.

"Oh, Ichigo, my baby. It feels like I haven't seen you in years! Are you okay, is Kisuke-san taking good care of you?" She held a broadly grinning Ichigo at arm's length, studying him.

"Yeah, he's really nice," He said reverently. Masaki smiled, studying her son curiously.

"Good, good. Now…" She clapped her hands briskly. "How much has Kisuke-san told you? Has he told you about…Shinigami?"

"Yeah…he…um, made me one…" Ichigo muttered, hesitantly. There was a flash of something on Masaki's face, but it quickly passed.

"Good, then I don't need to waste time explaining. Though I should tell you…I'm one too."

Ichigo's mouth gaped open.

"I-ah-wha?" Masaki chuckled faintly. Then she sat, instantly going from "laughing" mode to "serious-business" mode.

"So Kisuke isn't here you say?" Ichigo nodded.

"I searched everywhere, he isn't here," The orange head said. Masaki propped her chin in her hand in thought. The silence dragged on, and Ichigo felt that panicked feeling start to come back. He wanted Kisuke back; the blonde was like a parent to him, maybe a little more…

As soon as he thought that, the panicked feeling changed to the fluttery feeling he got sometimes, like when Kisuke had kissed forehead. Ichigo made a soft 'mrph' sound, and squelched the thought. When he looked up, Masaki was looking at him, grinning.

"What?" Ichigo asked nervously, worried that his thoughts had shown on his face.

"I think I know where Kisuke could be."

"What?! Where?"

"It's not for sure, but if he's not here, then he _could_ be in the Soul Society."

"Ah!" Ichigo snapped his fingers. "I heard unfamiliar voices last night…you think…?" Masaki nodded gravely.

"They could have come to take him back. Though for what reason, I have no clue…"

"I have to go there."

"_What?!_"

"Can you send me or take me to the Soul Society mom?" Ichigo asked. Masaki made a slight face.

"Well, I can't take you. I _can_ send you, but I don't like the idea of you going alone."

"Mom, I _need_ to go! Please!" Ichigo had a desperate look on his face. Masaki held out for a couple more minutes, and then gave in with a sigh.

"Fine, fine, come with me." She led him down to the underground room again.

"You could die Ichigo."

"I'm willing to, if I can save Kisuke," Ichigo said firmly.

"You don't even know if he's in any real danger."

"If he wasn't, he would have at least left me a note. These people came unexpectedly."

"True, true. Stand back."

As Ichigo stood off to one side, Masaki murmured something under her breath. Ichigo yipped faintly when a sparkling portal type entrance appeared out of thin air.

"This is the entrance to the Soul Society," Masaki said softly. "Oh, Ichigo do be careful I don't want to lose you." Ichigo went over and hugged her tightly.

"Don't worry. I'll come back alive and with Kisuke," He reassured. Masaki nodded; eyes hopeful.

"I'm sure you will. You'd be no child of mine if you didn't."

Ichigo chuckled, then saluted and stepped into the portal. As soon as he did so, he was separated from his human body, and flung into darkness. The last thing he saw before blacking out was his mom's hopeful face, and her words.

"Come back alive my precious son…"


	9. Chapter 8

**Tamix-**Yayyyyy finally up! I apologize profusely for the amount of time it took me to get this up! I had the WORST case of writers block ever. And since Teal's email was being stupid, I sent it like five times before she finally got it. And spell check needs to die in Lucifer's torture chamber...enjoy and review pleaseeeee! Sorry it's so short but as I said, writers block...it needs to die

* * *

**Ch.8 **

Light brown eyes fluttered open groggily, staring up at a blue sky. Ichigo groaned, putting a hand to his aching head. Woozily sitting up, the orange head looked around him with curiosity. He was sitting in a vast green meadow, with nothing in sight.

No houses, no buildings, just green grass, flowers, and that vast expanse of sky. Ichigo watched a few clouds scud past as he waited for his headache to subside. When at last he stood up, still somewhat wobbly, he took another look around, now with less hazy eyes.

Still nothing around.

"_This_ is the Soul Society?" He wondered aloud. "Where _is_ everyone?" Tea colored eyes spotted a path cutting through the grass, and the new soul reaper walked over to it.

"Maybe this'll lead me to somewhere," He murmured. "Somewhere I can ask someone where Kisuke is." With plan in mind, Ichigo set off down the winding path.

* * *

"Wow, what an…odd house." The orange head stared up at the unusual house, and scratched his head. It was a normal enough house…

…aside from the humongous pair of arms protruding from the ground on either side of it. The hands in the sculptures were fisted and held a sign that proclaimed the name "Shiba"

"Wonder if that's the name of the person who built those?" Ichigo wondered with some awe. He started toward the house, fully intending on going in and meeting other people at last, but something stopped him, froze him in his tracks. A familiar…presence, for lack of a better term. It came from behind him, and made his spine crawl and the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. When he slowly turned, he gasped, and one hand automatically went to Zangetsu's hilt, not surprised to find the zanpaku-tou on his back. His fingers curled around the hilt, and the bandages around the sword unwrapped. Never taking his eyes off the hulking figure in front of him, Ichigo pulled Zangetsu around in front of him. The beast was really frightening looking, almost completely white, with only red lines marring the white body.

And the eyes…

Gold pupils burned against the pitch-black sclera as it glared at Ichigo hungrily. The orange head had seen eyes like that before…

In the one room of Kisuke's.

Hara had those eyes…

So this must be a Hollow, if it had eyes like that. Ichigo steadied the shaking hand that held Zangetsu. He had to kill this Hollow then. Putting Zangetsu in front of him, Ichigo grinned up at the Hollow with a bravado he didn't really feel.

"C'mon then! Come get me if you want me!" With a loud, ear drum-shattering roar, the monster did just that. It lunged at Ichigo, forcing the teen to dodge to one side. Rolling under one of the Hollow's legs, Ichigo slashed at it with Zangetsu. It made firm contact and the monster roared angrily, lashing out at the teen again. Ichigo dodged, but didn't see the Hollow's long lizard-like tail whip up behind him. The serpentine appendage smacked into the back of Ichigo's head, throwing the orange head to one side, knocking him out.

* * *

"Hey…hey wake up." An insistent voice pestered Ichigo's dreams, and he groggily blinked open a hazy eye. A woman with surprisingly large breasts and long black hair was sitting cross-legged by him.

"Ah good you're up. I just wanted to make sure you didn't have a concussion." Ichigo nodded. That made sense, even to his fuzzy brain.

"You can go back to sleep now. Just wanted to make sure you didn't have brain damage. I'm Kukaku Shiba by the way, but we can talk more when you're better." Ichigo nodded again, and drifted off back to sleep.

* * *

When Ichigo opened his eyes again, he felt blessedly clear headed and refreshed. He stretched languidly, and heard a soft chuckle from above him. Startled, he looked up to see two eyes sparkling at him. An unfamiliar purple-haired woman was leaning over him, grinning.

"So you're finally awake then, eh Kurosaki Ichigo?"


End file.
